E.—6

12

The Education Department is meanwhile attempting to make some provision at Weraroa for the training of young men in agricultural science. It is questionable, however, whether a supply of teachers will eventually come from this source, and further reference to this project seems to lie outside the scope of our report. The position as far as secondary schools is concerned is si ill substantially the same as thai recorded in the annual report for 1917. Some few schools— aotably those at Whangarei, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Palmers!on North. Nelson, Rangiofa, Ashburton, Timaru, and Waifcaki—still kept the subject on the syllabus during 1919, and made an honest attempt to provide a sound course of .scientific instruction. They were, however, hampered in varying degrees by the popular demand that instruction in the subject should even in the earlier stages run along specialized or vocational rather than educational lines, by the mistaken desire for large experimental areas, by the consequent inordinate proportion of time taken by the pupils in routine field operations. by the lack of trained touchers in the subject, by the failure of the University or the Education Department to make any satisfactory provision for the training of such teachers, and by the discouragement that awaits bright pupils who, having taken agriculture to the standard of Matriculation or University Entrance Scholarship Examination, find themselves compelled to drop the subject on entering the University, if they are aiming at the usual arts degree. Conference ok Suniok Cadet Officers. In September, a conference of representative secondary-school Cadet officers was summoned in Wellington by the Defence Department. The conference, which lasted two days, was presided over by the Senior Inspector, and some of the sessions were attended by Major-General Robin, Brigadier-General Richardson, and other officers of the Permanent Staff. Various matters affecting the welfare of Senior Cadets attached to secondary schools were fully discussed. The most definite and valuable result was the agreement of the Defence Department to the long-standing request that in the case of school units the military year should be made to coincide with the school year. .Matters relative to maintenance grants, issue and replacement of equipment, physical drill, school barracks, and many others were freely discussed, and it was agreed that the conference had been a very valuable one in removing some of the causes of friction between officials of the Defence and Education Departments* Phywkjai, Drill foe Girls, We have from lime to lime drawn attention to the supreme importance of tin , sound physical (raining of girls in secondary schools. It is therefore pleasing to be able to stale that year by year more stress is being laid on this branch of school work. Not only are games in nearly every case properly organized and supervised by teachers; not only do selected teachers attend courses in physical exercise and qualify themselves to supervise school drill, but in a number of the larger schools a woman with special qualifications is now engaged and devotes all or nearly all of her time to supervision of games and drill, makes periodical inspection of girls, records minor physical defects, and, where possible, applies remedial treatment. The same teacher sometimes gives instruction in swimming, life-saving, hygiene, and first aid. Such a teacher is manifestly a most valuable addition to the stall of a girls' school. Conclusion. We have found Principals and assistants alike ready to afford us all possible assistance, and prepared to discuss fully all points raised by us. it is only by means of such frank and ready co-operation that inspection visits can be made really helpful. T. R. Cresswell, i j to f Seoondary 8 ,, 1100k . E. J. Pake, ) ' The Director of Education, Wellington.

3. DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS.—EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS OF INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS, EDUCATION BOARDS, DIRECTORS OF MANUAL INSTRUCTION, ETC. AUCKLAND. Extract from the Report ok the Education Board, Foii some time past the Board has been impressed with the necessity of improving the tuition in the district high schools, and last year obtained full reports from the Senior Inspector of Schools and Inspectors McLeod and Piicailhly upon each school. The Hoard obtained the permission of the Department for these officers to specially report upon the district high schools this year. In this way the Board will become conversant with the condition of these schools in detail, and, with the advice of the Inspectors mentioned, be able to effect a remedy. During the year the Department authorized the establishment of high schools at Te Awamutu and Whakatane. These schools were opened early this year. The rural course was taken by the pupils at the following district high schools: Aratapu, Coromandel, Pukekohe, Huntly, Te Knit i, Taumarunui, Cambridge, Malamaia, Rotorua, Waihi, Paeroa, and Tauranga. Eacli of these schools was visited regularly by an instructor in agriculture, who assisted in the science instruction. The course of work has been modified to suit the staffing conditions better and to enhance the value of the instruction given. The science equipment at the district high school is being steadily improved, and there are now science-rooms fully equipped for the teaching of agriculture and domestic science at most of the district high schools. In March the senior boys from all districl high schools were taken to Ruakura Government Farm of Instruction for a week's instruction in agriculture and dairy science in charge of the Board's instructors.